Artificial slab



No. 607,223. Patented Iuly I2. I898.

A. DE MAN.

ARTIFICIAL SLAB.

(Application filed June 23, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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ALPIIONSE DE MAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ARTIFICIAL SLAB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,223, dated July 12,1898.

Application filed June 23, 1897- Serial No. 641,879. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHONSE DE MAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Artificial Slabs, ofwhich the following is a specification,reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

In the present state of the art of building construction artificialstone or concrete is frequently employed in constructing the fioors orfor incasing beams, columns, 850., to render the structure fireproof.This is generally employed while in a soft or plastic state, and asconsiderable time is required for hardening and drying before thefurther Work of finishing the building may be proceeded with thecompletion of the structure is-thus necessarily delayed.

It is the object of my invention to facilitate the work of building suchstructures by providing artificial portable slabs having all of thevaluable properties of artificial stone and in addition thereto greaterstrength, which slabs may be manufactured at any convenient place, andwhen completely hardened and dried transported to the building in theprocess of construction, where they may be read ily laid in placewithout the necessity'of build ing a temporary scaffolding.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction of a compositeportable slab comprising a skeleton frame embedded in a body ofartificial stone; further, in the peculiar construction of the skeletonframe for said slab, and, further, in the peculiar construction of afloor structure in which said slabs are employed, all as more fullyhereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and t show several modifications ofthe skeleton frame forming a part of my slab. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof the completed slab. Fig. 6 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 7 is alongitudinal section through another modified construction of slab. Fig.8 is an elevation of the skeleton frame of a beam similarly constructedto the slab. Fig. 9 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 10 is across-section through a slab, showing another modification; and Fig. 11is a perspective View of a portion of a floor construction in which myslab is employed.

The skeleton frame forming a part of my composite slab is so constructedas to furnish to the completed structure just the elements of strengthmost lacking in the body portion of this slab. As the artificial stonewhich is employed for the body portion is deficientin tensile strength,a slab formed from that material alone could not be safely employedwhere subjected to transverse stress, as in.

fioor construction where supported at the ends only, nor would a slabthus formed have even sufficient strength to stand the jar oftransportation without danger of breakage. I therefore construct theskeleton frame with special reference to increasing the transversestrength of the slab, preferably employing a number of longitudinalcompression and tensile members united by end cross-bars forming acombination truss. Although this truss comprises both tension andcompression members, the strength of the former is preferably greatly inthe preponderance, the object of-the compression members being partly tohold the parts in proper relationship to each other-be fore beingembedded in the body, which latter may be relied upon to sustain allcompression strains, and, further, to give sufficient rigidity to theframe to prevent danger by breaking of the slab duringthe transportationor handlingthereof.

In Figs. 2, 3, and t I show the manner of constructing the skeletonframe for a slab designed especially for a floor or pavement Wheresubjected to transverse stress on one side only. In this construction Aand B are two metallic cross-bars, preferably anglebars. 0 are a seriesof longitudinal tensile members in shape of loops formed of metallicbands arched over said cross-bars. D are the compression members formedof inverted- T bars into a bow shape and riveted or otherwise secured attheir ends to the horizontal flanges of the angle-bars. The upperstrands a of the loops 0 are bent down toward the center portion, whichis preferably twisted to stand in a vertical plane, a similar twistbeing made in the center portion of the lower strands b.

In place of the band-loops O, I may use convolutions of wire, as shownat F in Fig. i, or, if desired, the angle-bars may be omitted and plaindouble-end cross-bars G may be used, between which are clamped the endsof longitudinal tension-wires M, with the com pression members Dextending between the end bars, as shown in Fig. l. The preferableconstruction, however, is that shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

After the skeleton frame is completed it is placed in a suitable moldand the material comprising the body tamped in, completely surroundingthe frame. For the material composing the body I may employ any of thecompounds used in producing artificial stone, but preferably theordinary concrete, which possesses the properties most desirable, suchas uniting firmly with the iron structure and having practically thesame coefficient of expansion. Vhen the body has solidified, the membersa and b will furnish the requisite tensile strength where it is neededto withstand the strains to which the slab may be subjected, while thecross-bars A and B and the bars I) will strengthen the slab frombreaking when handled. The end barsA and 15 also form base-plates onwhich the ends of the slab may be supported without danger of shearingoff. At the same time the body portion of the slab forms a completecovering for the metallic structure, protecting it from heat andcorrosion. Thus the completed article is capable of being transportedand handled in a manner and subjected to the strains which a slab formedwholly of artificial stone would be too fragile to withstand.

Fig. 7 shows a slab in which the skeleton frame has a central cross-barbetween the compression members and upper strands of the loops 0. i

In Fig. 10 I show the manner in which a slab may be cored out betweenthe members of the skeleton frame to decrease the weight withoutdiminishing the strength of the slab.

Fig. 8 shows a beam constructed in a similar manner to the constructionof the slab, differing therefrom only in being of lesser width andhaving some additional bracing members in the metallic frame.

Although I employ the term .slab in describingmy invention, I do notwish to be limited to any particular form, size, or proportion ofdimensions.

In Fig.1lI show a floor construction formed by slabs constructed asabove described and laid to span the space between the floor-beams J, inwhich they are supported at the ends. These slabs are preferablysupported on the beams by resting on the artificial-stone blocks L,which form a side-protecting casing for the beams J and are supported onthe lower flange thereof. The blocks I. are preferably formed with aledge or shoulder e, on which the slab rests, and the upward extension fbetween the end of the slab and the beam. In laying the floor the blocksL are first placed along the side of the beam, and to hold themtemporarily in place the straps or saddles K are placed over the top ofthe beam, the downward-bent portion 9 of which hooks over the portion fof the block and the laterallyprojecting ends h rest on the ledge e. The

slabs are thus laid in place, the saddles K holding them a slight spaceaway from the blocks, and after all are in position liquid cement is runinto the crevices, thus firmly uniting the slab and blocks. Such a floorstructure maybe very quickly laid and with out the necessity of firsterecting a scaffolding to work on, so that the time necessary for thecompletion of the work is considerably diminished.

hat I claim as my invention is-- 1. A composite floorslab comprising abody of artificial stone and a skeleton frame embedded thereinconsisting of longitudinal trusses and connecting end cross-bars thelatter also forming bases for the slabs.

2. A skeleton frame for artificial-stone slabs comprising longitudinaltension members and compression members and end cross members formingconnecting-headers to which said tension and compression members aresecured and also supporting-bases for the slab.

3. A skeleton frame for artificialstone slabs, comprising end cross-barsor headers, longitudinal tension members strung across between andsecured to said headers, and one or more bowed compression membersextending between said headers, the whole forming a bow-strin g truss.

4. A skeleton fram e for artificial-stone slabs comprising endcross-bars or headers, longitudinally-extending loops lashed around saidcross-bars having their upper strands centrally depressed andlongitudinally-bowed compression members extending between and connectedto said end cross-bars.

5. A composite slab comprising a skeleton frame having end cross-barsand longitudinal bow-trusses connected thereto, and a body of artificialstone in which said frame is embedded cored out between the cords ofsaid bow-trusses.

(J. A floor construction, comprising a metallic fioor-beam, anartificial-stone block forming a side protecting casing for said beam,an artificial-stone slab spanning the space beside said beam and asaddle hung over said beam having the downwardly-exiending portion g andoutwardly-extending portion h adapted respectively to secure said blockto the beam and form a support for the slab.

7. A floor structure comprising metallic beams, blocks of artificialstone resting on the lower flange of said beams, the side ledges c andupward extension f, the saddles K hung on the tops of the beams, acomposite slab resting on said saddles which separate it from the ledgee and extension f of the block, and cement filling the space betweensaid slab and block and uniting the two.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALPIIONSE DE MAN.

\Vitnesses:

M. B. ODOGI-IERTY, Orro F. BARTIIEL.

